


We'll Make It Out Alive

by Craptastic



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Established Adam/Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Mutual Pining, Secret Identity, Slow Burn, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-09-20 09:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17020512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Craptastic/pseuds/Craptastic
Summary: Keith never would have believed fighting alongside others. Never would have believed he would find a group of people that wedge their way into his life. Never believed he would find a place where he feels safe, feels like he belongs. If Keith was told it would all start by a chance meeting with a boy that's loud and brash and energetic and compassionate and adoring, he would never have believed it. He might believe how fast he was capable of falling.





	1. Elementals

Speeding through the populated streets, weaving in and out of the crows in an attempt to not knock into any civilians on his mad dash to the building, his feet pound against the ground with each step as he tries to beat the ever ticking clock. Once he reaches the building he flings the doors open wide and continues marching through the halls to reach his destination. He knocks into some bystanders, letting out a rush of quick apologies. Finally, he comes across the door that holds one of his worst fears. He slows down slightly to allow him time to make sure everything is in place before opening the door to the room. He combs his hands through his hair and attempts to smooth down his shirt. Once he steps a foot in through the threshold he hears the calling of, 

“Keith Kogane?”

Keith raises his hand from the door and lets out a breathless “here.”

He hears a few snickers as he makes his way to his seat for his first class of the day at Garrison University. He plops down into a seat next to a guy in a blue baseball tee shirt with a dazzling smile. As he places his bag down by his seat the boy nudges him slightly. 

“You have ash on your cheek,” the man says with an eyebrow quirked up.

Keith quickly reaches up to wipe it away from his face. The ash is displaced onto his arm and he huffs out an annoyed sigh at the mark it leaves. It wasn’t his fault he had to deal with a villain before his 9 am class. 

* * *

Keith Kogane lives a double life. He regularly attends Garrison University as an astrophysics student, but in his spare time he uses his powers to fight the villains that would appear in the city. The school is located within a large city allowing him the chance to fight villains while still obtaining an education. This proves to be both a blessing and a cures. In a world with increasing villainous activity he barely has time to breathe. 

At a young age Keith’s superpowers appeared, the elemental power to create and manipulate fire. Many children at the arrival of their power bask in the praise their parents would bestow upon them. However, Keith was taught to hide his capabilities and never tell anyone of the magnitude of power that was granted to him. The reason behind the secrecy was the myths around his power, or more the truth behind it. 

Since the dawn of superpowers being created and entrusted upon humans, there were four powers that only one could posses. These powers being the elementals, the power to create and manipulate an element to a degree of control superasing any other superpower. Those with the elemental powers are either praised or feared by the world depending on how they use their powers. Individuals and groups have also seeked the powers of the elementals to use for themselves. When the news became filled with the story of the new water elemental kidnapped at the age of six, to be returned soon after by heroes, Keith’s father took the traumatizing event as an omen of the struggles Keith would face. Instead of the praise and happiness Keith was expecting when his powers were revealed, he was met with dread and disappointment from his father. 

As he aged, Keith realized the complexity of his power and decided he would attempt to use his powers for good. In private he would practice his control of fire until he could conjure the flames himself. In his senior of high school he got caught up in a skirmish between villains, and the media spread the news of the appearance of a new element to appear like wildfire. His identity was thankfully kept a secret by the crude suit he wore then, but his future was forever altered by that day.

Despite being an unregistered hero he began to fight the villains that would appear in his city. He worked by himself, attempting to stay away from any fight already taken by heroes to not be recruited. He refuses to be influenced by anyone who would possibly use their power for their gain. 

Even though he wants to become a professional hero, he refused to apply to any schools specific for the use of powers when applying for college. He decided to apply to the college his brother goes to, Garrison University. There he started his studies as an astrophysics student with his hero work on the side.

Keith is only a week into his first year of college and he’s already exhausted. From going to class, doing homework, working at his job, and fighting villains he has no time to rest other than when he sleeps. When Friday finally comes around he promises himself to not get caught up with an villian activity, instead meeting up with Shiro,his older brother who is in his last year of graduate school, to relax. He silences his phone to not get distracted by any news that could pop up. 

Walking to the building he is meeting up with Shiro at, he can’t stop the nagging anxiety that somewhere, somebody was in danger, and that he was letting them down. He tries to reason with himself, someone else would go to the scene and take care of it. Not every villainous activity is his to deal with, especially when he is essentially a freelancer in the hero field of work. 

By the time he reaches the small campus cafe he’s given in, and already has his phone out, searching through the latest major news source. As he walks to the line before the register he knocks into the person in front of him resulting in him to jolt into attention. When he looks up from his phone he pauses at his surprise from it being the boy from his class earlier that day. He has never spent time looking at the person who sat next to him, which he now regrets considering the sight in front of him. At the subtle furrow of the boy’s brow as he stands shocked still he jumps to respond. 

“Sorry, wasn’t paying attention,” Keith apologizes.

The man smiles back at him with, “It’s no problem, I just hope for your sake that’s not the same case for Professor Iverson’s class.”

Keith smiles at him and shakes his head. 

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

The boy smirks at him while he tilts his head to the side. 

“And yet you still manage to come into class late with ash on your cheek,” he says, his voice taking on a more teasing tone.. 

Keith rolls his eyes.

“That wasn’t my fault,” he points up to the register, “and it’s your turn.”

His eyes widen before he swerves to look at the register, a light blush creeping on his face as he notices the gap that appeared while he was distracted. Keith hears a flustered “right” before he goes up to the counter, Keith following behind him. As he waits for him to give his order, he checks his phone once more, thankful to not see any major catastrophe pop up on his feed. He pockets his phone and gives his order and payment to the cashier. As he goes off to stand on the side and wait for his drink he finds himself beside the boy who is waiting as well, who sends him a small smile. 

“You know, I never got your name,” the man says. 

“Keith, and yours?”

“Well, Keith no last name, I am Lance McClain-Maldonado the one and only… Next question, what major do you have to be stuck in Iverson’s astronomy class?”

“Majoring in astrophysics.” 

Keith finds his curiosity endearing as hell. Lance’s face lights up at his answer. 

“Oh cool! I’m majoring in marine biology with a minor in astronomy, that must be why we have Iverson’s class together. I wish we had more classes together though, I wouldn't mind seeing your face more often.”

Lance winks at him, causing Keith’s face to flare up in blush. Thankfully, he is saved from further embarrassment when one of the baristas calls out Lance’s name. Before Lance leaves, he asks for Keith’s number. Keith gladly obligues, typing in his number quickly before handing it back so Lance could leave. Keith smiles at the name that Lance put for his contact. He gives Keith one last smile before leaving with a “see you around.”

Keith exhales as he leaves, the tension in his shoulders fading. It wasn’t that Lance was a person that caused him to be tense, more that his attractiveness and Keith’s lack of social skill were. 

Soon Keith receives his coffee as well, and looks around the cafe for Shiro. He finds him sitting towards the front of the cafe near the windows. The table is pushed within the small alcove created by the protruding wall-to-ceiling window. He sits down across from him, sighing heavily as he slumps down in the seat. He hears Shiro chuckling at him, causing him to glare at back at him.

“Rough week?” Shiro asks with a smile. 

Shiro was the first one in his adoptive family to know of his powers. It was his powers that led to Shiro begging his mother adopt Keith. When she refused Shiro took the task upon himself and adopted him at the age at twenty, Keith being the age of twelve and in the foster system for four years before he met him. Despite her initial disapproval Shiro’s mother quickly became a parental figure to Keith, while Shiro acted more as an older brother. 

Shiro is also the only one to know of his secret identity as a hero as well, caused by Keith once showing up to his dorm covered in cuts from a fight. Shiro’s first reaction was shock but thankfully he helped Keith with the medical attention he needed. However, Keith did have to wrestle the phone out of his hand when Shiro tried to call his mother.

“The worst. I wasn’t expecting it to be this hard to balance everything.” 

He whispers out the next few sentences after looking around the cafe to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. 

“I had to fight that idiot Hawk three times in the past week because he doesn’t know when to quit.” He leans forward in his chair, raising his arms in frustration. “I mean, do you really need to wreak havoc on a city all the time or do these people just not take a break? And I can’t catch him by myself because of his stupid flying abilities that he always uses to escape, but I am  _ not _ about to ask for help from some rookie hero.”

As he speaks Shiro’s smile continues to grow before he erupts into laughter once Keith finishes. Keith crosses his arms at him, rolling his eyes at his little brother’s antics.

“Sorry, sorry, I’ve just been hearing you complain about this Hawk dude for so long but I’ve never seen you with that angry of a face on when you talk about him. It does sound rough though, maybe you should stick to the down low on the whole hero part.”

“I’m angry at him because he almost made me late for my first class.” He pauses, subconsciously biting his thumb nail. “And you know I can’t, I would be too worried that someone else would be too late to deal with the issue when I could have been there sooner,” Keith reasons as he slumps forward over the table.

Shiro places his cup down before looking at Keith seriously. Keith immediately knows he is in for one of Shiro’s “overly concerned brother” lectures. 

“Okay, one: you need to let that day go, it wasn’t your fault. Two: you’re going to burn yourself out to the point where you are no help to anyone. I know you have a love for astrophysics, but if your priorities are in the hero business that is where you should focus. The only way you can do both is if you figure out a way to balance the two while still giving yourself enough time to rest.”

“Shiro, I know,” Keith responds quickly. “Can we move on to something else?” 

Keith has heard the same speech dozens of times, not always the same subject but always ending on how he will eventually burn himself out, literally or figuratively. He looks out the window to avoid the concerned look Shiro is giving him, he doesn’t want to think about it right now. 

“Alright, how about that boy you were talking to before?”

Keith smiles softly to himself before delving into the topic. The heavy conservation from before is brushed under the rug and they move on to more lighter topics. Keith finds himself relaxing as he always does while around Shiro, sinking into his chair and smiling more often. He doesn’t check the news at all ashe catches up with his friend, finding a reprieve from the constant unease that hangs above him. Soon enough, Shiro has to head back to the space science building to finish up one of his projects for his astronautics doctorate degree. 

“I’ll see you later, Keith. You should stick around campus tonight, there are always a lot of activities held on the last day of the first week, maybe you’ll make a friend.”

For a brief moment Lance crosses through his mind, but he brushes it away to focus on Shiro.

“Yeah, maybe… You get going, good luck on your project.”

Shiro smiles back at him before exiting the cafe, leaving Keith to finish his now cold drink in solitude. He throws his cup out and exits the building as well, entering the humid end of summer weather. He spends some time walking around the small campustown to watch the activities held to commemorate the start of a new school year. He mostly observes the movement of those around him. He steps towards a stall that catches his eye, but one step in there is a resounding boom coming from behind him. He stops immediately as his chest constricts at the deafening noise going off, anxiety coursing through his body at the sound. Screams fill the air before Keith is able to turn around and comprehend the chaos. His pulse continues to skyrocket as he slowly turns to the source, his breath hitching once he sees the plumes of smoke coming off from the distant space science building. 

Shiro is in that building. 

Without a second thought, Keith runs toward the building. Smoke billows from one section of the building while the other is being encased in ice. Nothing but turmoil is laid out in front of him. He presses the button on the side of his watch, allowing the contraption to deploy, a standard illusion to hide his true identity. The illusion conceals his clothes and face, so if anyone sees him they wouldn’t recognize him. 

He falters as he stands before the mayhem, seeing who caused the explosion, the Galra. The Galra are a villainous group with a leader who wishes to amass power and gain control over the world. Those who are part of Galra willingly gave their powers to their leader and instead gained quintessence powered weapons. Quintessence is the force that gives everyone their powers. To obtain and alter quintessence is a huge taboo that the Galra willingly break. With this obtained quintessence the Galra create weapons that imitate any power they wish. Keith has never seen the effects of the weapons in person and he was not ready to. As he approaches the building he notices parts of the building caving in, others on fire, others coated in ice. However, all of the results of the weapons are a weak imitation of the elemental powers, they can only create these elements instead of control.

Keith takes a deep breath in before jumping head-first into the chaos, passing students rushing away. 

Fire meets ice as he blasts his element to the ice covering the building. He quickly melts away the ice, the imitation weak to his true power. Before he rushes into the building the hiss of water flowing quickly catches his attention. A man stands on the opposite side of the building, extinguishing the flames engulfing the building, water rushing from his hands. Once again the imitation dies quickly, the boy smiling proudly. Keith can only see the cocky smirk he wears, the rest of his face and body covered by an illusion. 

“We make a good team don’t we?” The man asks. 

Keith furrows his brows before and running towards the building. He stumbles past the rubble covering the floor, hearing the man scrambling to catch up. 

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!” The boy says while running towards him. “The building might not be covered in ice anymore but it’s still not stable!

Keith ignores the other despite the other’s insistent calling. 

“Just go back outside if you don’t want to be in here but I'm not turning back. There are still people in here,” Keith yells back at him.

“Well, I won’t let you get to take all the glory so I’m following too,” The man competitively yells back. 

Keith huffs before giving in, letting the other follow along. They dodge falling debris while making their way through the hallways. They come to a halt when a large pile of rubble lies before them, no way to go past. Keith curses at the pile and kicks at it in anger. 

“There’s no way for us to go around this,” Keith growls. 

“Yeah no duh, I would have never guessed. We’ll have to go back and find another way in,” The man responds.

Keith presses his lips together as he looks at the pile in distaste. “There has to be a way through this.”

“Dude, you just said that there isn’t so let’s-”

“Actually, I can help,”  A voice sounds from behind them. 

Keith turns around to see a large man covered in an illusion as well. He gives a soft smile to the two before walking past them. Keith marvells as the rocks move as soon as the man touches them, they float back into place along the walls and ceiling.

“Woah dude, that’s some power! Are you a levitator?” The man with water powers asks excitedly.

The man laughs shyly before responding. “I’m actually an elemental. It’s just easier to manipulate mixed materials if I’m touching them.”

“That’s amazing! Both of us are elementals too!” The boy says. He slings his arms around Keith as he speaks, Keith awkwardly standing next to him. After a second the man freezes after a soft gasp. He jumps away from Keith and instead holds onto the other man’s arm with a tight grip. 

He turns to the other elemental, squinting his eyes up at the man. His eyes go wide with a gasp and leans in to whisper something in his ear. The other man chuckles with a nod. The water one turns back to Keith, gasping once more. 

“Oh my god that’s Helios,” the man says with an agape mouth.

Keith winces at the name, the press gave it to him after his first documented fight. The name was used by the original elemental who acted as a hero and when Keith refused to offer interviews that would usually provide a hero name the press stuck with Helios. 

Keith rolls his eyes before beginning to walk forward again.

“Now that it’s out of the way I’m going forward,” ignoring the man’s realization of his hero status.

The boy holds his arm up in salute while responding. ”Aye aye captain.”

Keith simply sighs before moving along, trying to navigate his way to the lab he knows Shiro is most likely in. They pass students on their way there as well as Galra. Together they fight the Galra, using fire and water to make steam to fog the area and rocks to blockade the Galra in. Whenever they finish fighting Keith rushes forward, knowing with each step they get closer to the lab. Keith calls out to Shiro when he reaches the lab, rushing in. A concentration of Galra soldiers are held here, all fighting against another duo. Even with an illusion Keith can make out one of them as Shiro. The two of them fight together, Shiro using air manipulation and the other using technokinesis. Shiro creates a circle of air containing the Galra soldiers in a tight bunch, the shorter controlling the Galra weapons against them. The two work together nicely, defeating the Galra soldiers before Keith’s group intervened. The Galra fall to the ground along with the weapons as the air current disappears.

The water boy walks in front of Keith to greet the other two. “Hey! You guys wanna help us defeat the rest of the Galra here? All three of us are elementals.”

Keith wishes that the man would stop saying that they are all elementals, it isn’t exactly a fact he wants to be known by everyone in the room. There are still some students hiding in the room that appear after Shiro and the other finishes the fight.

“Are you serious? The four elementals, the only people in the world with those powers, are all in the same place during some Galra attack? I officially resign as being a child genius because this doesn’t make any sense.” The shorter one fighting with Shiro, Keith really needed to figure out what to call them, announces as they throw their hands in the air in exasperation. 

Water-boy, what Keith decided to name him for the time being, laughs at the technopath. “It is a little strange, but let’s save the rest of the building and everyone inside before figuring out the rest later.”

Shiro steps forward before he speaks. “I think that’s the best thing to do at the moment. Is everyone alright with that?”

Everyone nods in response, moving out of the room to search the rest of the building. They work together to defeat the Galra, fix the building, and allow trapped students to escape. They manage to go through the whole building before the actual heroes come to the scene, standing in shock as the misfit group of five finish the last sector of the building.

The five are not sure what to do once they came out, seeing all the superheroes on TV in front of them looking flustered. Keith simply rolls his eyes at the heroes, just another example of how they never arrive on time to a scene. 

Neither party came to the other until a woman with white hair and a dazzling smile. She smiles widely at the group, looking as regal as always. 

Allura. The woman who is tenacious at arriving at a scene of a crime to try and convince Keith to attend Altea University.

“Hello! I am Allura, special director of the Voltron force partnered with Altea University. I would like to extend an invitation to attend the university based on the powers you have shown today. A full-ride scholarship will be provided to all of you, as well as being in an elite group within the school called Voltron. If you agree, you will be transferred to Altea University where classes start in two weeks. I understand that you may have questions, which I will happily answer.”

The technopath shoots their hand in the air. Allura smiles brightly at them, nodding to signal for them to speak. “Ok I have a few questions. First one, by full do you mean full-full? No payment necessary? Second, what the fuck was that attack and why did they attack here, I mean come on it's a college.” Shiro nudges them in the side whispering a scolding for language, which is ignored. “Third, can we still study what we are here or just powers stuff? And fourth, why is the director here and not some speaker for you?”

Allura smiles at their enthusiasm at them before replying. “Yes, no payment. We aren’t sure why but we believe it was because of a student that attends here. If you wish there is a sector of studies not relating to powers available but it is not a necessity. Since this is a very special case, as four of you being elementals, I decided I should greet you all in person. Plus, Altea is only a few blocks away from the Garrison so it wasn’t too much of a hassle to come here. Any other questions?”

“Yeah, I have one,” Water-boy says. “What if we say no?”

Allura’s smile falters at the question, clearly not prepared for it. “Well, we will be remorseful of your denial but will acknowledge and accept your answer.”

“Well I say no, so goodbye.” Water-boy says before walking past everyone. Allura tries to call out to him but he harshly replies to her with, “You said you’d accept my answer didn’t you?”

Allura shuts her mouth at that but not without a concerned look over her face.  They watch as he walks away until he escapes from their line of vision.

Allura turns back to them with panic in her eyes. To any other it would be ignored, but he knew Shiro could tell too by the way her hands were shaking slightly. “Do any of you know him personally?”

The earth elemental steps forward. “Yes, I do.”

Allura nods to the man before handing two cards to him. “Good, good. Can you do me a favor and at least give him my business card? Possibly talk him about it?”

“Yeah, I’ll try, but I honestly don’t think anything could change his answer” The man says with a smile.

Allura smiles back before giving them all small cards. “Please contact me within a week with your answer to the offer. I greatly appreciate the time you gave me to speak with you.”

They all nod and start to walk their own ways. Keith and Shiro make their way to Shiro’s car in the building parking lot. Thankfully Keith finds his disgardered bookbag on the way there. They walk languidly, often stopping to glance at the card in their hand. 

“Do you think you’ll go?” Keith asks tentatively.

“Maybe. It’ll give me a chance to fight against the Galra and stop their harm they inflict on the world,” Shiro responds.

“You’ll get the chance to protect people.”

* * *

 

Hours pass by and Keith's never stray from the ceiling above his bed. Despite the exhaustion weighing down his body his thoughts will not stop racing to allow him to fall asleep. He rolls over to check the time, seeing that it’s already midnight and he hasn’t managed to get a wink of sleep. With the grumbling of his stomach he gets out of his bed to head down to the dorms communal kitchen.

Once he reaches the entryway he stops in his tracks, frozen at seeing Lance sitting at one of the small tables just outside the kitchen area. He seems to be having a midnight snack as well. To not scare him, Keith shuffles his feet across the floor as he makes his way in. He grabs a box of cereal in one of the cabinets before coming back over to Lance. 

“Mind if I sit here?” Keith asks while pointing to the chair across from Lance. 

“It’s all yours,” Lance says with a smile. 

Keith falters slightly at the smile, there’s something hidden beneath it. He attempts to brush it off as he sits in the chair with a sigh and begin to devour the box of Lucky Charms he managed to get a hold on. 

“So how has your first week of college been?” Lance asks after a moment of silence. 

“Eventful,” Keith says over a handful of the food. He quickly swallows them to be able to talk to Lance and be understood. “Today was pretty crazy.”

Lance nods his head to the answer. 

“I never would have guessed the Galra would attack a place like this, pretty crazy if you ask me. Hope you weren’t in the area it happened” There is another moment of silence as they continue to eat before Lance asks another question. “So, want to play twenty questions?”

Keith smirks at Lance’s antics with a nod. Lance beams at him at the small permission for the silly game, but Keith is happy enough with the reaction he would play the game for infinity if he could see that bright smile Lance has. 

“So, why are you up at the good time of midnight?”

“Couldn’t sleep, and you?”

“The same… Any pets?”

Keith shakes his head.

“Any siblings?” Keith asks.

Lance stands taller in his chair at the question. He smiles brightly as he looks of to the side as he talks about his family

“Four; Veronica, Marco, Luis, and Rachel. Rachel is my twin and the rest are all older. I also have a niece and nephew, they’re Luis’s kids, along with all of my cousins and their kids too. I have a pretty big family and they’re amazing. What about your family?”

“My brother,” Keith says plainly.

Lance looks taken aback at the shortness of the answer before returning.

“Oh, well it’s your turn.”

“Favorite color?” Keith asks between a handful of the cereal.

“Blue.” Lance pauses in his question, putting his elbow on the table so his hand could hold up his chin while he gazes at Keith. “What’s your power?”

Keith swallows the cereal quickly, coughing after due to surprise caused by the question. He was trying to avoid thinking about anything relating to Altea University, which includes his powers. 

“Um, that’s off limits.”

Lance frowns at the answer but it quickly morphs into a grin. 

“That means I win.”

Keith laughs lightly at Lance and how he sits taller in his chair, gloating at “winning”

“There isn’t a way to win twenty questions, Lance.”

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t… I do… have a serious question for you, which may be a little awkward as we just started talking today, but I need some advice from really anyone right now.”

Keith startles slightly at the switch in Lance’s mood, but he quickly nods at Lance. 

“Ok, shoot.”

Lance sighs heavily and looks to the ground as he says, “Well, I recently received an offer from Altea University, but with certain policies they have I don’t know if I actually want to go. But, if I went I would be able to make a bigger difference than I would have if I stayed here.” 

“Make a pros and cons list.”

Lance barks out a laugh at the comment. Keith scrunches up his face, he didn’t mean it as a joke. The expression quickly vanishes, however, at the sight of Lance’s unfiltered laugh and also the information of finding someone who he could relate to with being transgender.

“Sorry, you just sounded so alike to my friend Pidge there, she’s very analytical. It’s good advice, I’m just not very good at following it… If you could go to Altea University would you?”

Keith purses his lips at the question. Currently, the answer is pointing towards no. He does not want to get involved with any group that could influence him for their own gain. He does not trust those who work at Altea University and this group called Voltron Allura mentioned. However, he also knows that with some push from Shiro the answer may change. He knows what the benefits of becoming a legitimate hero are, but he isn’t sure if they are worth it. He also knows that his stance on going and why are not the same as Lance’s.

“I’m not sure, but probably for different reasons than yours. You have to look at if the benefits outway the cons on your stances on going or not. I can’t make the decision for you.”

Lance dramatically leans back in his chair, letting out an exasperated sigh at the dilemma.

“Why can’t there be an easy answer to all of my problems?” Lance whines. 

Keith can’t help but let out a snicker at Lance. Despite his over the top exaggeration, he felt the same.  

“Well, Lance, this has been fun but I’m going to try to get some sleep.” He stands up and stretches, then goes over to put the almost now empty box of cereal away. “I hope you figure out what to do.” Keith sends him as soft a smile as he can manage. “Goodnight.”

He hears Lance hum in response before he exits the room. Just as he is about to step outside the room he hears Lance say something else under his breath. He turns around to ask but the look Lance has on his face makes him pause. Lance’s eyes are boring into him, freezing him his tracks with their intensity. He feels like Lance is trying to figure him out, put the last piece of the puzzle in. He can tell when it clicks. 

“What did you say?” Keith asks. 

“Oh, I only said goodnight.”

Lance smiles at him one last time before Keith walks away. He can feel his stare locked to his back as he leaves.


	2. Helios and Siren

Presented with a life-changing decision, Keith has one week before he has to have an answer. He tries to go on his days normally, attending classes, fighting villains, attempting to avoid the wrath of Shiro when he snuck into his apartment to steal the last slice of cake. The only difference in his life from last week is that he now texts Lance fairly often. 

The only difference if he ignores the constant nagging in the back of his head to call Allura and provide an answer. 

Keith takes any distraction he can get, reading ahead in his school materials or going out of his way to apprehend a villain. There are some less taxing ways of distraction, one that has him staring at his phone. 

**Lancelot** : morning! I just came across a really cute cat

**Lancelot** : image.png

A picture of a small kitten next to a store’s windowsill pops up. Keith awes at the photo while quickly replying. 

**Keith** : Cute

He waits a few seconds for a response, but after a moment of waiting, he switches to looking at his news feed. He switches to reading an article and is halfway through reading a report of a villain incident as his phone pings with another notification. He clicks on it immediately.

**Lancelot** : image.png

**Lancelot** : is this cuter

A picture of Lance holding the silver kitten in his arms pops up, Keith assumes he’s walking with someone else who took the picture. Lance’s signature bright smile appears as he looks down at the kitten. He is pictured as he pets the cat who willingly allows the attention, leaning into his hand. Keith chuckles at the text he sends along with the picture. He figures he might as well humor Lance. 

**Keith** : For sure. Super cute

**Lancelot** : nice!!!

**Lancelot** : ok hunk is telling me to stop looking at my phone but talk to you later

**Keith** : Ok

Keith pockets his phone as he continues to roam along the sidewalk aimlessly after his last class of the day. The city is bustling with people leaving work and heading home, college students mixed in between. Keith considers turning back around to the cluster of university buildings to grab dinner from the mess hall. However, a small sandwich shop catches his eye on his walk. He stops in to grab dinner, happy as he bites into the sandwich at a seat against the window. He watches those walking outside in the busy city peacefully.

Peace does not last long in a city filled with heroes and villains.

A rumble echoes through the city, reaching Keith in the quaint shop. He looks out the window down the block to see two villains causing chaos by a jewelry shop. He can immediately identify one of them as the pesky villain Hawk. Keith sighs heavily as he takes the final bite of his sandwich before exiting the small shop. He rushes over the alley next to the shop to activate the illusion that hides his identity. As he pivots into the alley and leans against the wall he’s met with Lance staring back at him. Both of their eyes go wide and Keith halts his movement, completely frozen as he gapes at Lance. Lance is the first one to break out of the stupor. 

“Hey Keith, uh. Nice meeting you here in this dark alley,” Lance says. 

“Uh, yeah?” Keith shakily says back.

Lance nods his head at Keith while he shuffles towards the exit.

“Well, I’m going to be leaving, nice seeing you,” Lance rushes to say as he waved goodbye.

Keith isn’t able to give a response before Lance leaves the secluded area. He pauses to try to decipher what occurred, but he quickly moves on when no answer arrives immediately. He checks the exit of the alley to make sure no one is looking as he activates the illusion. As soon as it turns on he runs out of the alley and heads towards the sight of the scene. 

Hawk is outside of the building, creating a clear perimeter that no one dares pass. Most people have either run off or are watching in fear of the villains that spews of threats at those who stayed. The wall to the building has been smashed in, leaving a gaping hole on the side. Keith assumes that there is someone inside, hopefully only one with no civilians. 

Keith charges over to the building, pushing through the crows to be close enough to Hawk without being close enough to civilians and harm them. As soon as Keith is close enough he shoots a stream of fire to Hawk, singing a small part of his wing as he flies away. 

Hawk, the fool, grins down at Keith and calls out from above. 

“Helios! So nice of you to show up. I do suggest you leave though as- hey! I was talking!”

Keith rolls his eyes once he stops the flames erupting from his hand in an attack towards Hawk. He shoots another fire flame up to him from the other side, closing in the space Hawk can travel. Hawk flies upward, causing his wings to get singed further as he extends them. 

Hawk pulls out the daggers he holds in his belt, ready to attack Keith. Keith dodges behind a discarded car as the first blade whizzes past his ear. He conjures a shield of fire for the Hawk’s attacks. As soon as Hawk’s relent stops Keith steps up to the offense. 

Keith creates a burst of fire at Hawk, attempting to force him to fly closer to the ground. He’s distracted by commotion from the building, noticing civilians still in the store as a woman rampages the place, stealing as much as she can while also threatening the civilians. He hears the screams of those insides as she stalks towards a cowering person. Keith curses and runs towards the entrance. 

The woman veers towards him, hearing his heavy footsteps as he rushes in. Once he enters and gains her attention he begins to backtrack to the entrance to draw her out of the building. She’s faster than he expecting and soon she's only a few feet in front of him. He can hear Hawk yelling at the civilians in the crowd outside. Keith can only hope he isn’t hurting anyone. 

Distracted by the commotion outside Keith barely manages to dodge a punch thrown by the woman, but thankfully she’s out the store, away from those stuck inside and the valuables. He backs up further from there and takes a look towards Hawk. 

Hawk has a civilian in his arms, hovering a few inches off the ground. The civilian thrashes in his grasp, yelling out for help. His gut sinks.

Cursing loudly as he sends a wave of fire to the woman, attempting to dissuade her as he deals with Hawk. 

“Hey, Helios! You should be paying attention to me!”

Keith huffs out a heavy breath before racing over to him. He aims for one of Hawk’s wings but he moves quickly to place the civilian in the line of fire instead. Keith extinguishes it quickly before shooting out a string of fire to Hawk’s other’s wing. 

He isn’t able to see if it meets him as he is punched to the side by the woman. The air in his lungs escapes him. 

Keith is knocked back into the crowd. He wheezes from the force of the punch, praying that none of his ribs are broken. His head pounds and the smell of ash and sweat is beginning to suffocate him. While he’s still trying to catch his bearings he feels someone begin to lift him up. 

“Come on, buddy. Don’t give up yet, we still have to catch these guys.”

Keith turns around to see the water-boy from yesterday. He gives Keith a small smile after he helps him up, moving to stand up beside him instead of behind.

“I got this,” Keith says, still trying to catch his breath. 

“You clearly don’t. I’ll take Hawk while you take strong lady over there. Don’t get hit by her and you should be fine,” the man reasons. 

Keith isn’t able to respond before the man is rushing towards Hawk, sending up a stream of water that latches onto Hawks ankle to then to transform into ice. Keith marvels before remembering who he is, he isn’t a civilian who can simply watch.

He steels himself and looks to the woman who is stashing bags of jewelry into a small truck by the building. He starts to walk towards her, flame igniting upon his palm. He calls out to her, grabbing her attention and getting her away from the valuables. She stalks towards him. 

“Just don’t get hit. Shouldn’t be too hard,” Keith says under his breath. 

Keith bolts towards her, leaning towards her left. Flame whips around to her right, causing her to look to the other side. Her distraction allows him to lay a hand on her side, a small amount of fire whipping around his fingers to burn her. With his other hand, he locks his arm around her neck and pulls down. Keith doesn’t manage to knock her down. 

An opening appears as her stance falters, giving Keith time to step back in case of an attack. She pulls back her fist. Keith waits for her to throw the punch. As soon as her fist comes close enough he bursts into flames, he was too late. 

The punch made contact and Keith is flung backward, the taste of iron becoming stronger. He shakily stands up, thankful to see mystery man taking over for him for a moment, dealing with Hawk as well as the other. He shakily stands up and charges forwards once again. The man relents his attack on the woman as soon as he sees that Keith is up once more. 

Attempting his previous tactic again he waits for her to throw her punch. Seconds before what would be contact he bursts into flames. The woman reals back in pain, clutching her hand close to her.

He takes his chance and reaches out, hand ignited. She tries to back away but Keith grabs onto her arm, extinguishing himself once they meet. He kicks her right leg and pulls her down in that direction with a tight hold on her arm with both his hands. Once she hits the ground he creates a blanket of flame around her, not close enough to do any harm but enough to stop her movement. 

Keith looks up to see the Hawk dodging the streams of water that the man shoots up to Hawk. With Keith’s free hand he releases fire to the side away from the man’s attacks, causing Hawk’s wings to get signed. Hawk jumps away from the fire and into the man’s onslaught of water. A wave of water knocks into Hawk, causing him to fall to the ground form the force. The man encases his body except for his head in water, immobilizing Hawk. 

“What now?” the man calls out. 

Keith looks down the street, hearing the tell-tale sound of sirens. He notices a few people of the press amongst the crowd as well, he’ll have to make a quick exit as soon as the villains are detained. 

“Wait for the authorities to come and arrest them.”

They wait and stick around until the villains are detained, making sure that they don’t try to escape. The man walks over to Keith after they are detained, slinging an arm around his shoulders. Keith winces slightly at the pressure, his ribs still reeling from the punch that sent him to the ground, twice. The man reaches out and wipes ash off of his cheek with a smile, leaning off of him slightly when he notices Keith’s pain. The man is practically jumping up and down next to Keith, looking like an excited puppy. Some of his energy rubs off onto Keith, a wave of euphoria washing over him at finally catching Hawk.

“That went well.” He looks over to the press being held back the barricades that were set up. “You going to talk to the press?”

Keith shakes his head, moving out of the man’s grasp.

“That’s not something I do.”

“You also don’t work with others, so think of today as your chance to step out of the norm.”

Keith crosses his arms at the man, clearly wanting to leave. The man however only sends him a bright smile that causes his heart to falter for a second. He should be the one called Helios with how bright that smile is.

“Come on, I’ll be there with you so if they say anything rude I can back you up.”

Begrudgingly, willingly if someone paid enough attention to the small upturn of his lips at the excitement of the man, Keith is pulled over to the awaiting press. A rock sets in the pit of his stomach as he looks at the flashing lights and mics being pushed into his direction. He isn’t able to focus on one person as calls from all around him blend together to create a blur of commotion. The man, still holding onto his arm, smiles brightly at one of the people with a microphone pushed in his direction. Keith struggles to focus on their interaction. 

The man lets go of his hand to instead nudge him in the side. He faces him to whisper something in Keith’s ear who instinctively leans closer. 

“The lady in the blue hat asked how you feel about finally catching Hawk,” the man says.

Keith nods in thanks before looking to the crowd to find who the man spoke of. Once he finds her, he leans forward slightly to the mic she was holding out and clears his throat.

“It’s uh-. It’s nice?” Keith stammers out. 

There is a reason he doesn’t like interacting with the press. 

The man steps closer to him, invading his space further to reach the microphone as well.

“Helios is probably really glad he doesn’t have to deal with him anymore. He was pretty pesky wasn’t he?” the man says.

Keith isn’t sure if it was a question for him or the woman but he nods in response anyways. 

A slew of interviews ask questions afterward, but instead of paying attention to them, he pays attention to the man next to him to see who he picks next. He follows the man’s eyesight to who he assumes will ask the next question that they will answer. 

“You seem to be an elemental as well, will you take the name of the first hero water elemental as Helios did with fire?”

Keith scoffs, he didn’t pick to go by Helios, it was the name the press bestowed upon him without any input from Keith. He didn’t mind but he would rather the press not get it mixed up.

“Siren?” The man lets out a soft laugh that has Keith’s heart pause for a second. “It does have a nice ring to it. I have no idea for another so that works for me.” The man faces Keith, slinging an arm around Keith’s shoulder. “What do you think, Helios? Should I go by Siren?”

Keith looks to the press around him, subconsciously hoping one of them would tell him the right answer. He receives none and instead simply shrugs. 

“Sure?” he mumbles out. 

The man lets out another short laugh before looking back at the interviewer. “Siren it is!” he says with a smile. 

Keith looks to the next person who clambers to grab their attention. 

“Do you know each other previously? And will we be seeing more teamwork between you two?”

Keith opens his mouth to respond to the second question with a quick retort of, no, he refuses to work with others that can get in his way. However, the man, Siren he should say, cut him off before he can say anything. 

“We’ve fought together before once, and only the future will tell if it happens again.”

The answer leaves him clenching his teeth together. He wants to interject and make it clear that this will not become a recurring event, but the next press person holds out a microphone a little too close to his face. 

“Could you two do an exclusive interview for Hero Weekly? We would love to know if Helios is finally joining a hero school or company,” one of the press asks.

The man lights up and begins to nod. Keith reacts on impulse to pull him behind him quickly and glares at the press who asked the question. 

“Absolutely not. Do not expect me to parade around with the press or work with another partner.” Keith sweeps his glare across the sea of mics and cameras with disdain. “This is over.”

Keith lets go of his grip on the man and walks away. He doesn’t make it very far before there is a hand on his shoulder. 

“Wait, Helios,” the man calls out. 

Keith continues forward away from the press and the authorities dealing with the damage of the fight and keeping the civilians away. He doesn’t stop until their in a more secluded area at the side of the buildings away from prying eyes and ears. He can tell Siren followed him all the way there. Keith spins around, glare already set on his face. 

“What do you want,” Keith snaps. 

Siren takes a step back at his tone. Keith can tell his eyebrows furrow from the way his mask moves. He opens his mouth before closing it again, looking agape at Keith. 

“I would really appreciate being able to head home so if you have nothing to say can I please leave,” Keith says as he crosses his arms. 

Siren looks off the side, pursing his lips before returns back to Keith. He reaches behind and scratches at his neck.

“Are you-. Are you not going to Altea University?” he asks softly.

“Why does it matter? You made it clear to Allura that you weren’t.”

He shrugs his shoulder before he says, “I changed my mind. And I was hoping you would be going to.” He looks down at the ground and shuffles his foot against the ground. “It would be fun to fight together again.”

“I don’t do the whole working as a team or partner thing. I work solo, always have.”

“So?” Siren takes a few steps forward into Keith’s space. “You’re allowed to change. I noticed how you’ve never been able to capture Hawk on your own. Today we managed to do that, together.” He places a hand on top of Keith’s shoulder. “We’re clearly stronger together. What are you so afraid of?”

Keith steps back from him with a grimace.

“I’m not afraid of anything, and even if I was that would be done of your business.”

Siren rolls his eyes but puts his hands up in surrender. 

“OK, I give up. Stay being an emo loner who doesn’t work with anyone. But know that I won’t stop lending a hand if I see you need one.”

Keith returns his gesture and rolls his eyes as well, crossing his arms and looking more like a pouting child than the hero he is. 

“Fine,” he grits out. 

Siren smiles slightly at him, letting his posture relax. He walks over to Keith, patting him on the shoulder as he passes him. 

“See you later, Helios.”

Watching Siren walking away, he notices a familiar kitten walk across the alley Siren goes into.

* * *

Keith needs medical attention, he is aware of that, but going to the nearest hospital would raise some questions about the origin of his injuries. Usually, heroes can go to specific hospitals that keep their identities confidential and know how to deal with some of the odd results of fighting as a hero. However, being an unregistered hero Keith does not have the luxury of being able to go to one of those hospitals. 

Instead, he trudges his way along the streets to Shiro’s apartment. He sends a quick text to Shiro, alerting him of his soon to be appearance upon his doorstep. Wincing all the way there, Keith finally is able to knock on the worn door, ready to accept the concerned lecture he is sure to receive as Shiro patches him.

Shiro opens the door, taking one look at him before opening the door wider to let Keith in. Shiro lets out a heavy sigh as he goes to get the first aid kit stocked with supplies for nights like these that repeat too often for his liking. 

Keith moves to the small bathroom in the apartment, walking past the small living space crowded with miscellaneous items. He notices Shiro's roommate and boyfriend, Adam, sitting on the couch in the living room to the right side of the space. He looks up from his spot, shaking his head at Keith as he passes by. 

“Got into another fight, Keith?” Adam asks. 

Keith lets out a grunt in response. When Keith began to show up with injuries hard to explain to someone who didn’t know of his power, Shiro came up with the lie that Keith was a troublemaker who tended to get into fights with his peers. The lie may have originated from how Keith acted when he was younger. However, Keith could tell Adam didn’t completely buy into the lie, but he thankfully never asked again why he would show up with bruises and cuts every once in a while. Keith had a feeling that Adam knew, he wasn’t a top student at Altea University for nothing. 

Keith passes the open space that leads to the living room and kitchen and heads towards the only hallway in the apartment. He heads into the first door on the right, Shiro already there with the kit open and soaking rubbing alcohol into a washcloth. Keith takes his place on the rim of the tub, waiting for Shiro. 

Shiro walks over to him, handing him ointment for bruising. He allows Shiro to clean up the cuts that litter his face, checking for any damage that would have to be dealt with at a hospital. Finally, Shiro places bandages where he sees fit, taking a step back from Keith. His silence sets him on edge, but he tries toward the rising anxiety away.

Keith places ointment on himself on his newly forming bruises. He winces when he bends a certain way, agitating his ribs. He hears Shiro sigh. He knows Shiro isn’t annoyed, only concerned at the state Keith continues to show up in at his doorstep.

“What hurts?” Shiro asks. 

Keith places a hand over his right side, directly under his chest. 

“My ribs. Some lady with a strength quirk hit me, I think it’s only bruised though.”

“Think, or know?” Shiro asks with an obvious frown. 

Keith rolls his eyes. 

“I  _ know _ It’s only bruised, I know what a broken rib feels like and this isn’t it,” Keith says. 

Shiro rolls his eyes back at Keith, ruffling his hair before exiting to grab an ice pack.  Once he returns he hands it Keith before sitting down the floor in front of him. 

“You wouldn’t know what a broken rib felt like if you weren’t so stubborn,” Shiro chided. “If you actually cared about your health you wouldn’t know.”

Keith pouts, slumping forward as he crosses his arms, ice pack forgotten. One pointed Look from Shiro towards the ice pack has him placing it over his injury. 

“Shiro that was years ago, even if I still binded I know now how stupid I was. You don’t need to continue to lecture me on my bad choices,” Keith responds. 

“That’s my job, kiddo,” Shiro says as he leans back, his hands behind him to support him. “So,  what happened today.”

Scratching at the edges of one of his bandages, Keith avoids Shiro’s concerned gaze. He knows that Shiro will find out eventually from the news but he would still rather not talk about the events that lead to him ending up here. He would appreciate any chance to prolong the lecture he is sure to receive.  

Adam has other plans. He calls out from the living room, “Hey, check the news! Helios fought with a newbie called Siren and caught two villains. He even talked to the press.”

The sound of a video starting up reaches Keith, the sound of his distorted voice soon followed by Siren. Shiro, his back now facing Keith, shouts back at Adam. 

“Is Siren that water kid from last week?”

A few seconds pass before Adam responds with, 

“Yeah. He seems to be ok, Helios looks more beat up. He was the first one to the scene. He would’ve been dead meat if the newbie didn’t show up.”

Slowly, Shiro turns back to Keith, his lips pressed together into a tight line with his eyes narrowed. He closes the door behind him, making sure Adam doesn’t hear him. Keith chuckles at him, hand scratching the back of his neck as he sinks into himself. He knows exactly what Shiro will say first. This isn’t the first time that they’ve had a conversation like this. 

“How many times do I have to tell you to wait for the professionals to come, they have the ability to go to a hospital. Unlike someone I know,” Shiro chastises. 

“Shiro, I am a- ,” he’s cut off by Shiro holding up his hand

“No, until you go to a hero school or become registered you are not a professional hero, you’re someone in a suit that gets hurt by jumping to a scene. I understand you want to help out, but you have to take your own health into account.”

“I didn’t get hurt that bad,” Keith says meekly. “And if you were there you would have done the same thing.”

Keith can tell Shiro rolled his eyes without even looking at him.

“No, I wouldn’t have. I would have waited for  _ professional _ heroes to show up and deal with it. If Siren didn’t come and help you might have ended up in the hospital, or worse.” Shiro sighs heavily, running his hand down his face. “Keith, you can’t keep doing this. You can’t continue to head straight into danger without a plan. You aren’t invincible.”

Silence falls between them. Keith shuffles his feet across the floor, unsure on how to continue. He knows this, that he’s human and has a weakness. One of those being that he can’t run away from danger. He isn’t capable of turning a cheek when there are innocent people that could get mixed into the crossfire of a villain. He also knows that Shiro worries are within reason. 

“Shiro, I’m ok. I came back safe.”

Shiro snaps up to look at him. 

“One day you won’t. One day, you’ll go off on your own because you’re too stubborn to work with others and too brave to realize you’re vulnerable and you’ll come across a villain you aren’t strong enough for. You’ll get hurt beyond repair and no one will be there to help. Keith I can’t-. I can’t lose my little brother.”

Keith slips off of the lip of the tub, coming down to sit down in front of Shiro. He pulls at a loose string on the bathmat, avoiding looking at Shiro as he considers how to answer him. 

“You won’t. I promise.”

The string snaps with one last pull. He rings it around his fingers over and over again to avoid any thought that might escape from his lips. He worries about similar things, about possibly not escaping a fight. About taking more than he can chew. But he knows that this isn’t the time to delve into his insecurities but instead a time to listen to Shiro. Always standing by Keith is not an easy task, but it’s one that Shiro refuses to give up on. Keith used to wonder when Shiro would leave him, but all these years later he knows that Shiro is secretly equally stubborn as he is. 

“I know that you don’t want to go to Altea, and I’m not trying to make you do something you don’t want to, but at least consider the offer. You would get training and registration and a team to back you up.”

“I assume you’re going then?” Keith asks. 

He tries to keep the bite out of the question, but he doesn’t succeed. Keith crosses his arms in front of him, looking away from Shiro as he waits for his answer.

“Yeah, I called Allura the other day.”

Keith keeps his mouth shut, not wanting to start an argument over Altea. The exhaustion of the fight has slowly been dragging into him, but he finally feels the tug of sleep. He yawns loudly, causing Shiro to chuckle softly. Shiro stands up and reaches down to Keith to help him stand up. 

“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” Shiro offers. 

Nodding in response Keith follows him out of the room. He says goodbye to Adam on his way out, receiving a half-hearted wave. He exits the building and makes his way to Shiro’s beat up black compact car. He leans back into the worn seats as Shiro starts up the car and begins the way to Keith’s dorm. Closing his eyes, Keith blocks out the commotion of the busy city that speeds by. They sit in silence for a few moments before Shiro starts a conversation once more.

They mostly talk about mundane events going on their lives, how Keith has a paper to write and Shiro has to help Adam finish unpacking from coming in the other day. The two met in their first year of college, Adam soon transferred to Altea but they continued their plan of getting an apartment together. 

The car slowly comes to a stop in front of Keith’s dormitory. He hops out of the car with a quick goodbye to Shiro. 

Exhaustion weighs down on him on his way to his room, barely having the energy to change before he flops onto his bed with a sigh. 

Before he falls asleep his phone pings with a notification. He grumbles as he blindly reaches out for it, not opening his eyes until he grasps onto it. The bright screen reveals that the text is from Lance. He quickly opens his phone to the message. 

**Lancelot** : came across the cat again on my way home so took her to the vet! 

**Lancelot** : she didnt have a chip so after her checkup i took her to the dorm after convincing my roommate

**Lancelot** : dont tell the ra

Keith sighs at the text, but not without a grin at his antics. 

**Keith** : I won’t

**Lancelot** : ok good

**Lancelot** : image.png

The photo shows the kitten going after a feather tied to a string, leaping up at it. He sees other cat essentials in the picture, a bowl of food and water in the corner along with other toys skewed across the room. Keith shakes his head, of course, Lance would not only adopt a cat but go all out to get the best for her. 

**Lancelot** : i named her blue

**Keith** : Your favorite color

**Lancelot** : u remembered!!!

Keith narrows his eyes at the text, confusion distracting him momentarily.

**Keith** : Of course? Why would I forget?

**Lancelot** : ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ not many people remember something like that

**Keith** : Those people are weird

**Lancelot** : i think ur confusing them with urself

**Lancelot** : well anyways its late so im gonna go to bed soon

**Lancelot** : u should too so ur not late to iverson again

**Keith** : Yeah I will. Goodnight

**Lancelot** : goodnight!

Keith places his phone back down onto his nightstand, a smile on his face as he curls into his sheets. 

* * *

Keith wakes up with a searing pain in his lower ribs from the fight the other day. Although they weren’t broken, bruised ribs still hurt. A lot. 

He gets out of bed groggily, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand to try and get rid of the remaining lingers of sleep. Keith looks to the clock beside his bed, groaning loudly at the sight of the time. He barely woke up before his alarm to wake him up for his 9 am class with Iverson. He stumbles out of bed and begins to get ready for the day.

Keith grumbles the whole way to class, glaring at anyone who looks at him on his way to class. He’s still in pain from the fight yesterday and he barely got any sleep from reading all the articles that the press made on him and Siren. And maybe even afterward he couldn’t fall asleep from thinking about Siren. Either way, Keith is miserable on his way to class. 

He finally makes it to the room, thankfully before the classes start. He looks around the hall before landing on Lance, in the same spot from last week. Keith lets a small smile come across his face as he goes up to sit next to him. He places his bag on the back of his chair before sitting down, immediately swiveling to Lance. 

Lance smiles at him and gives a small wave in greeting. 

“How are you Keith?” Lance asks. 

“Tired and sore, but I think my day just got a little better.”

Lane’s eyebrows raise slightly.

“Keith, are you saying your day just got better because you were gifted the great occasion of being in my presence?”

Keith smirks at him before responding. 

“No,”  _ yes.  _ “I’m happy that I actually made it to Iverson’s class on time.”

Lance laughs in response, that blinding smile making its first appearance of the day. 

“And with no ash on your cheek!” Lance says cheerfully. 

Keith nods in response, his own smile spreading slightly at Lance’s. He’s thankful he doesn’t question why he has bandages on the top of his forehead. They continue to converse until Iverson walks into the class, the students quickly quieting down and the two following suit. However, a few minutes into the lecture Lance leans over to Keith who instinctively moves towards him as well. He looks at Lance out of the corner of his eyes, Lance still watching what Iverson is writing on the board but with a subtle glint to his eyes as they briefly flitter to look at Keith.

“Hey, do you want to get coffee after class?” Lance asks.

“Yeah, definitely,” Keith responds with quickly.

The rest of the seminar Keith is filled with giddy excitement, not because of Lance, that wouldn’t be possible. He’s excited for coffee and leaving Iverson’s class. No way is Keith excited because of the prospect of spending time with Lance. And no way in his distraction did he accidentally write “Lance” in his notebook instead of the words Iverson was saying. No way did he rush to erase it with blush covering his cheeks.

Class continues agonizingly slow, checking the clock every few seconds doesn’t help but Keith ignores that thought. Keith sighs in relief when Iverson ends his lecture, saying goodbye to everyone and ushering them out of the room. 

Keith follows Lance as the exit, quickly conversing on their way to the coffee shop. 

On the way Keith asks about Lance’s new pet, learning about the endearing expression Lance gives when talking about an animal he found yesterday and is already adored with. Keith can’t blame him, Blue is adorable. 

They jump from one topic to the next on their way to the small coffee shop shoved in between two other shops that are bustling with activity. The coffee shop is slightly less crowded than those around it, it’s farther away from most of the college buildings so not many students stop there and the morning rush is long past over. They only stop their conversation momentarily to order and receive their drinks. Lance attempts to pay for Keith’s drink, but he refuses to allow him to. Leaving the coffee place they head to one of the small parks in the city near campus. The air is filled with Lance’s happy chatter as they walk through the late summer air. Warm temperature blends with their iced coffee, creating the perfect atmosphere to talk through the city. The sun beams down on both of them creating a glow around Lance. Keith finds himself looking at Lance more than what is in front of him.

Lance brings up a hero that recently graduated from Altea and started working as a professional hero. After Lance stops he diverges the conversation to asking Lance a question. Maybe he could receive some insight on a question he has for himself.

“So, have you made a decision on your Altea University issues?” Keith asks. 

Lance nods energetically, turning to walk back to be able to look at Keith. Keith huffs out an irritated sigh, he’ll have to be Lance’s eyes to make sure he doesn’t hit anything on their way to the small park. He doesn’t mind, but he fears he will get distracted from what’s in front of him by Lance’s eyes. He shakes his head at the thought, he needed to stop thinking about Lance like that. 

“I did! I decided that I would be going. I talked to my friend about it a little and he managed to convince me it was a good idea to go. Also what you said helped too, me going is a big fuck you to Zarkon. I’m thankful that I will never have to deal with him with the classes I’m taking. Plus, the dorms I’m in allow for pets so I don’t have to hide Blue.”

Keith grabs onto Lance’s shoulder lightly, the boy’s eyes going large at the sudden contact. He pulls Lance to the side slightly, to avoid hitting a sign on the edge of the street. Lance expression morphs to a frown, realizing the danger of walking backward. He moves to walk next to Keith instead of in front of. 

“What will you be taking?” Keith asks. 

“I’ll still be taking marine biology, but with the hero courses as well I’m going to have to give up my astronomy minor.” He shrugs slightly, but with one look to the side, Keith can tell that it upsets Lance more than he is letting on with his dejected expression. “It sucks, but I think I’ll manage.”

Keith is only able to humm in response, unaware of if he should comfort Lance or move onto another topic. Lance, however, quickly takes the initiative and continues to ask him questions. 

“What about you? You said before that you wouldn’t go to Altea Uni but for a different reason. Any chance you’ll tell me why?”

Keith gives a noncommittal shrug to the question. The issue of Altea University has been nagging on him the whole week, and with his fight with Siren yesterday along with his need to contact Allura soon weighs him down. He wants to tell Lance, but he has a feeling that Lance would find his reasons silly. Who would reject a chance to go to the best hero university in the world out of a fear of being influenced by others? 

Keith. Keith would and the realization makes him slump into himself, his insecurities and fears causing his insides to shrivel in guilt. He was presented with an amazing opportunity and yet he still hesitates. 

“If you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine, I was just curious,” Lance says. 

“You really want to know?” Keith asks apprehensively. 

Lance nudges him with his arms, playfully pushing him. Keith goes to glare at him but it quickly falls flat at the supportive smile that Lance shows him. 

“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t want to know,” Lance answers softly.

Keith pauses, unsure of if wants to delve into the topic. He’s thankful for Lance’s sudden silence, allowing him to mull over the chance to voice his concerns. There really is no negatives to opening up to Lance. Despite him feeling silly about his fears he has a feeling that Lance isn’t the type of person to take amusements from others insecurities. He grips onto the straps of his backpack, squeezing them briefly as he takes a deep breath in and exhales.

“I feel like if I were to join Altea I would easily be influenced, or people would use me for their own gain. The power that I have, it… it’s a hard one to come by, so I’ve always been wary of those who wanted to have me work for them. It’s stupid, I know, but it’s a fear that I’ve always had.”

They’ve made their way into the small park that sits amongst the tall university buildings. Lance leads him in a bit further until they reach a bench that sits under a small tree. Lance sits down first, motioning Keith to follow suit. Once Keith situates himself, his book bag beside him, he turns to find Lance staring at him, completely sitting towards him with his legs pulled up onto the bench in criss-cross position. Keith has to stifle a laugh at the sudden seriousness in his expression, his lips in a tight line and eyebrows furrowed despite his childish posture. 

“Keith, number one. Any fear of yours is not stupid, they are valid no matter what. Second, as your new friend, I will not allow anyone to use you for their own gain.” He holds his right hand above his heart and leans towards Keith. “I  _ promise _ . Third, I get it. I used to be afraid of something similar, people using my power for their own gain. I  _ have been used _ because of my power.” 

Keith notices the crinkle in his brows as he says this, Lance briefly looking off to the side before regaining his focus on Keith. He reaches out to place a comforting hand on Keith’s knee.

“But I also know how hard it is to constantly be wary of those around me. It’s hard to believe at first, but not everyone is out there to get you. Plus, I know you're a good guy and have everyone’s best interests at heart. There’s no way that you would allow for someone to use you for something bad, you’re stronger than you think.”

Shock courses through his body at Lance’s words. He leans into his soft words, finding solace in them. Lance’s words are added to the list of reasons to take the chance. 

Keith was able to work with Siren showing capability in working with others. He has the support of his brother and now hopefully Lance to stop him being influenced into using his power for evil. The option to stay solo and work on his own has vanished when he noticed the fear in Shiro’s eyes as he voiced his fear of losing Keith. 

He needs to make the right choice, not only for him but for others around him.

With proper training, Keith’s power would greaten and he would know how to properly apprehend a villain without putting civilians in danger. With a team, Keith would have back up and a plan, he would no longer be rushing into danger without support. He would ease Shiro’s fear and have improved capabilities of dealing with villains. 

A hand reaches over and touches his shoulder lightly. Keith jumps, jolted out of his thoughts. Lance sits with his eyebrows furrowed, rubbing with the cloth between his fingers that sits on Keith’s shoulder.

“Hey, I’m sorry if I overstepped there. I didn’t mean to say anything that could upset you, I just felt like you could use some advice.”

Keith waves his hand to bat the words away. 

“No, you’re fine. I needed to hear what you said. The answers to a question I have was right in front of me, I just needed someone to spell it out for me.”

With eyes crinkling, Lance smiles at him softly. He retracts his hands into his lap to fiddle with them. In a moment of silence, Keith notices the beams of light that stream through the holes left from the tree above them. His hair sways in the breeze as Keith studies him in a moment of silence. 

The moment is broken by Lance’s words. 

“Ok, well I think it’s time for a change of topics. Did you see the news about Helios?” Lance asks.

Keith shakes his head no, the liar. 

“He was working with a partner for once. Do you think that will happen again?” Lance questions, an inquisitive eyebrow perched up as he looks at Keith from over his cup. 

The question catches him off guard. Keith looks up to the sky to mull over the question. Thinking back to yesterday, to the comfort of knowing someone was behind him to watch his back and vice versa. The exhilaration of the giddy energy Siren expressed that bled onto him. Thinking over Lance’s words, the sincerity in his tone and the truth he told. Thinking of how he would be a fool to reject an offer that would change his life for the better. 

“Probably. They made a good team.”

A grin spreads across Lance’s face, but Keith is too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice.

The conversation transitions into talking about other heroes, Keith finding out Lance’s almost fanboy fascination in them. Every once in a while Keith will interject his own thoughts on a certain hero, but he mostly allows Lance to ramble on. Lance moves on to talking about a person in his class that has the power to speak to marine life, soon delving into his fascination about the ocean and the life beneath it. The whole time Keith sits there with a soft smile, latching onto every word that Lance speaks. 

He doesn’t allow his mind to wander until he says goodbye to Lance. 

* * *

Keith stares at the card in his hand, Allura’s number staring up at him mockingly. He slowly punches the numbers into his phone, finger hovering over the call button. He lets out a heavy sigh as his head falls down to rest on his desk. He sighs at his phone in his lap one last time before hitting the call button and holding it up to his ear. 

“Hello, this is Allura speaking.”

“Hey, this is Helios. I accept your offer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two can also be titled, “Keith is an oblivious idiot.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this written since september but never posted it because I lost interest in voltron with the realization of how shitty it is when season seven came out. (I have not watched season 7 or 8 cuz fuck voltron) I am writing and uploading this out of spite. Currently I already have up to chapter 6 written so I plan to upload every two weeks for the time being. 
> 
> On another note thank you Jenn for bettaing this!


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